Improvement in wagon-shackles



L. M. B. COLEMAN Thin-Coupling.

Patented Sept 18, 1866.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIoE.

LUOIUS M. B. COLEMAN, OF DANBY, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN WAGON-SHACKLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 58,071, dated September18, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUcIUs M. B. GOLE- MAN, of the town of Danby, in thecounty of Tompkins and State of New York, have invented an ImprovedShaft-Sh ackle forIVagons and other Vehicles; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full and exact description thereof, referencebeing bad to the acpanying drawings, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon.

My object is to make such an attachment of the shafts or pole to thewagon as to be secure, free from rattling, be easily adjusted, littleliable to get out of order by the wear of the parts, and which can betightened from time to time, and prevent or correct the delicienciescaused by the wear. To meet these and other indications I make a squarehole through the shaft or thill or pole iron, instead of the usual roundone for the bolt, or I use a round bolt through the shaft or pole iron,and prevent any motion thereon by dowel-pins or other devices betweenthe shaft-iron and the washers in the ears of the shackle; and I insertWashers or metallic beveled cylinders or wheels into the eyes of theears of the shackle, and make the burr or nut hold only against thewasher; and I make the holes through the washers square, or I usedowel-pins, or corrugated or toothed surfaces, so that they may beimmovable on the bolt, but .the outside of the washers smooth, that theymay readily move in the eyes of the ears of the shackle. This is seen inthe figures, where- Figure l is a side view of my wagon-shackle. In it Ais the shackle, encircling an iron and wood axle, and is held in placeon the axle by a plate and burrs or nuts, and the shaft or pole iron isseen fastened to a part of the said shaft or pole; andiB is the burr ornut that holds the bolt in place when through the shaftiron andshackle-ears; and G is the part of the device, which I have termed thewasher,

- cylinder, or wheel, in the eye of the ears of the shackle. I

Fig. 2 is a view of the shaft or pole iron,

showing D, the square hole through it.

Fig. 3 shows certain parts of my shackle, drawn separately. At E and Eare sections of the ears of the shackle, with sections of the washers FF, having the square holes through them for the square bolt H to passthrough.

The slotted hole I is seen in the middle of the bolt, and the sameslotted hole I, I use with a round bolt, as dowel-pins, corrugated ortoothed surfaces, or other similar devices prevent the motion at thisplace, and allow my use of the wire or leather through the hole I. At Jthe same parts are drawn without the ears of the shackle. At K is both aside and an end view of the washer; and at L is figured the washer, cutin part square, and in part with a thread of a screw in the holethereof.

Fig. 4 shows a leather cord through the hole in the shaft or pole iron.

The uses of the several parts are clear. The square bolt andfitting-holes in the washers or other device for rendering the partsalluded to immovable when adjusted cause the wearing-surfaces to bear onthe ears of the shackle and on the periphery 'or outside of the washers.This gives the burr or nut a secure hold, as there is no motion betweenit and its washer. The large surfaces of the washers give large wearing-surfaces, which are more durable than small ones. The beveledwearing-surfaces, fitting each other, are especially adapted to preventrattling, and admit of tightening the same at pleasure.

The other uses, advantages, and the making of my device are apparent tothose skilled inthe art to which it appertains.

I claim- 1. The use of washers or metallic cylinders in the ears of awagon-shackle to transfer as far as possible the wear in theshackle-joint to the surthces made by the periphery of the same, and thesaid ears, when virtually made as described.

2. The described beveling of the washers and of the oorrespondin g holesin the ears of the shackle, for the purpose of tightening the shacklefrom time to time, as described.

3. The combination of the described device or devices for preventingmotion about the iron bolt, but allowing the same about the washers orcylinders, and of the washers or cylinders in the eyes of the ears ofthe shackle with the wearing-surfaces in the said ears, the same makinga whole, as described.

LUOIUS M. B. COLEMAN.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL J. PARKER, A. M. LUcAs.

